MY DOCTOR NEVER ASKED ME THOSE QUESTIONS
INTRODUCTIONBefore I begin, let me remind my readers, that I am not a research scientist. I am a healer. I have spent over three decades, in the medical profession, empowering people to heal themselves. I work with them in all aspects of their well being: body, mind, and spirit. It is in this context that I write this book. There are no control groups and no double-blind crossover studies. But in my mind, my control group was the same group of women, in the many years of suffering, before I helped them learn how to change the hormonal and chemical imbalances in their bodies. Fortunately, I have been blessed to be guided by the valuable research of Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Guy E. Abraham of Torrance CA and Biologist Ori Hofmekler of Woodland Hills CA.
For over 20 years, women have begged me to write this book. I write this now, because almost every day I find someone who is needlessly suffering and living life as a constant uphill struggle, because she does not know what I know. I realize that some of the things I am about to say will cause concern in some members of the medical profession. That is a good thing. We all need to ask questions. That is how new treatments are discovered in the first place. My vision is that the controversies I spark, will lead to a fiery passion amongst medical researchers to help women live healthier, happier lives. Those of you who are scientists-get working. You have a lot of work ahead of you!
The purpose of this book is to ask the questions women have been asking for years; to encourage the scientists and researchers to find new answers; to alter the pervasive prejudice against women as unpredictable, unreliable, highly emotional beings; and to help society understand that women are frequently undiagnosed, untreated, and misunderstood. My goal is to initiate the shift that changes the belief systems of our entire society regarding women. To do this, we must first open the eyes of the medical profession, which have been blinded by the pharmaceutical industry.
There was once a time when the medical profession truly believed that menstrual cramps were psychosomatic. Then after the discovery of prostaglandin and antiprostaglandin drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, treating dysmenorrhea became an integral part of women's health. Further, as women's pain became "medically real", the disorders of endometriosis and polycystic ovarian disease were uncovered, and the treatment of infertility benefited greatly. Where would we be today, if MD's still believed that the pain was "all in their heads"?
Our mothers or grandmothers can still remember the time, in the early 20th century, when childbirth was considered a medical emergency. It was not something a woman could go through naturally. It had to be medically managed by a physician. Women were heavily sedated, as if undergoing major surgery. Of course, this practice lead to frequent complications of childbirth and damage to the fetus. Then, in the mid 1950's, an American woman named Marjorie Karmel, had the good fortune to be relocated to Paris with her husband's job. When she became pregnant with her first child, she stumbled upon an obstetrician named Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze. She learned that she could deliver a baby with nothing more than the oxygen in her lungs, the muscles in her body, and the power of her mind. Her book, "Thank you, Dr. Lamaze", revolutionized the course of modern obstetrics. Now in the 21st century, no ObGyn would dare to practice without treating a woman's pelvic pain and minimizing the drugs administered in childbirth.
Two major shifts have occurred. Now it is time for a third. Excessive estrogen, in a woman's body, has been linked to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, blood clots, breast and ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, and various types of female cancers. As a society, there are three things we must do:
- Change the name of PMS to Hyperestrogen Syndrome (HES)
- Recognize that some women do not metabolize estrogen correctly
- Understand that treating HES will decrease four major causes of death in women
We understand that some people cannot correctly metabolize cholesterol in their livers. Now it is time to understand that some women cannot correctly metabolize estrogen in their livers. These estrogen retainers have more problems in pregnancy and postpartum. They do not tolerate oral contraceptives and oral hormone replacement. Instead of sending them out the door with a prescription for antidepressants, and instructions to "lose more weight", it is time to help them achieve hormonal balance. I challenge our researchers to come up with a test that accurately reflects the estrogen imbalance, and our physicians to teach all their patients how to enhance their liver's ability to function properly.
Every obstetrician knows that the high levels of estrogen in pregnancy can lead to excessive weight gain, diabetes, hypertension, and blood clots. We have seen the same problems with oral contraceptives. Let us expand our awareness to evaluate women, with these diseases, for the role estrogen may play. How many strokes and heart attacks will be prevented? Oncologists are the first ones to tell women to get off estrogen, if they have had breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer. Why should we wait until the tumors appear, when we can advise all women to watch for the signs and symptoms of excessive estrogen, and take steps to lower it? How many cancer deaths in women will be prevented? As the baby boomers reach late middle age and the early senior years, primary healthcare providers will soon be inundated with female patients requiring medical management of these conditions. If our focus is truly on prevention; understanding the effects of estrogen in women, will enhance our ability to prevent almost all the major causes of death in women.
There is still a much bigger picture to look at. Every day of my life, I meet women whose lives are impacted by HES. It affects their self-esteem/self-confidence, their marriages, their children, and their careers. How would our society benefit, if there was less mental illness, divorce, and child abuse? How would our workplaces benefit, if women could express the best in their personalities, work to their highest potential, and miss less time from work?
The push for these changes has to come from women themselves. I challenge each and every one of you, who reads this book; to share it with family and friends, physicians and therapists. Let's stop the ignorance in our society NOW!
© 2007 Miracle*Works Inc.
